Life Can Be
by roo17
Summary: For thirteen years, he believed the man he cherished most in the world had died. Now Trafalgar Law was about to find out that Life was much more cruel, twisted, and unpredictable than he ever thought imaginable.
1. l: So Unpredictable

Life Can Be…  
l. So Unpredictable

* * *

_Summary: For thirteen years, he believed the man he cherished most in the world had died. Now Trafalgar Law was about to find out that Life was much more unpredictable, cruel, and twisted than he ever thought imaginable._

_Warning: mild swearing, slight AU, some ooc. No pairings._

_Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece. :P I wish I did. BECAUSE THEN CORAZON WOULD BE ALIIIIIVE. (Or, in Corazon's own words. "My death… It has…ALL BEEN AN ACT!")_

* * *

_Love seems to draw dark, twisted pleasure tearing at me 'cause I can't let you go  
Mercy, like water in the desert, shine through my memory like jewelry in the sun  
Where are you now?  
Blindly face the blazing gun, 'cause I'm afraid I will be left here without you  
I'll sell my soul to dream you wide awake  
I'll sell my soul to dream you wide awake_

* * *

It was all over. The chaos that had consumed the kingdom finally came to an end, and the dark cloud that had been secretly floating above Dressrosa had dissipated. There were no more toys walking the now broken streets, only people who were overjoyed to be reunited with their family and friends once more. Tears of joy and tears of sadness fell from the citizens as they closely held either deceased loved ones or loved ones who had been erased from their minds so long ago. King Riku took his rightful place one more upon the throne and went around the kingdom to help in anyway he could.

The Straw Hats were all gathered in one area, tending to their own wounds while they had the chance. Fujitora was still in the kingdom and the last thing they wanted to do was fight someone who held the tittle Admiral after an already long, fatiguing battle. Mansherry had offered to heal their wounds, but the pirate crew refused; stating they rather have her heal some of the civilians who were in more dire need of help. "Luffy, we need to get going," Robin stated, turning to face her captain.

"Torao's not done yet," was the reply she received, Luffy's eyes fixed above on the battlefield he earlier fought on.

Zoro gave a thick sigh. "We don't have the time–"

"Then we'll make time," Luffy quietly interrupted. The tone of his voice left no room for an argument, and the green-haired swordsman wondered what it was that Luffy knew about the surgeon that he didn't. "We are not leaving until he's done."

The Straw Hat captain knew just how important this whole mission had been for the Surgeon of Death, for the man had confided in him a little on the way to Doflamingo. He learned a little more, too, during the fight. He was avenging the death of the person he had cherished most in the world. Corazon, if Luffy remembered correctly, was the man's name. Doflamingo's own brother. The corner's of Luffy's mouth twitched downward for a moment, and his hands curled into loose fists. He couldn't understand how someone could purposely hurt, much less _kill_, their own brother. It would be like him trying to kill Ace or Sabo, or vice versa.

How? How could you do that? Doflamingo had killed his younger brother. Weren't older brother's supposed to watch over and protect their younger siblings? Luffy wanted to know what happened, curiously wondering what pushed the ex-warlord over the edge to go far as killing his own flesh and blood. But he didn't dare ask; if Law wanted to confide in Luffy on his own, that was fine. But Luffy would _not_ ask for the details.

So he stood there among his friends, eyes locked on the battlefield above as he patiently waited for the surgeon's return.

* * *

Law stood before the motionless body of Doflamingo, his face void of all emotion. His body screamed for rest as every single wound deeply ached. But he refused to move, refused to acknowledge anything except the corpse lying before him and the fact that he had finally, _finally_ avenged Corazon.

What the clumsy blond had started so many years ago had finally come to an end.

Dressrosa was no longer under Doflamingo's command, and the demon himself had been put to rest. No more could he harm others or ruin lives for his entertainment. After years of planning and scheming, Law was finally free.

Free from the iron borders of the White City.

Free from the Amber Lead Disease.

Free from Doflamingo and his family.

Totally and utterly _free_.

He closed his eyes and took in a deep breath, holding it a while before slowly exhaling. Silence. All he could hear…was silence. The drum of his heartbeat soon mixed with the silence. He both loved and hated the silence. It reminded him of Cora-san, how the silly man's powers would cancel out the sound of the world so Law could fall asleep at night. It reminded him how silent he was when he cried his heart out when the person he cherished most was shot protecting him, and no matter how hard he cried his anguished howls never came to sound until Corazon finally passed on.

But at the moment, Law relished the silence. He let it embrace him, just like Corazon would have those many years ago. His heartbeat reminded him of the nights where all he could hear was Corazon's heart beating in his ribcage as he laid awake against the blond's chest, desperate to stay alive for a few more weeks until they found the Ope Ope no Mi despite the fact his body was wracked with pain from the Amber Lead Disease.

He wished he could bring Corazon back to life. To see the blond once more. To see him slip and fall, to see him catch his shoulder on fire, to see him smile and give a victory-sign while saying, _"I love you!"_ He would give anything to see the male again…but that was impossible. Corazon was dead, and he only lived in Law's memories and heart now. His arm traveled to his wounded chest, resting his hand over his tattoo.

"Cora-san… I…" '_love you, too,'_ his mind finished. But he just couldn't find the will to say the words. Instead, he finished with, "I miss you…"

He wished he could stay longer, but he knew they had to leave. Marine reinforcements were coming and Fujitora was still on the island. He had no doubt that Straw Hat already told his crew they would not move until he was done, and for that he was silently grateful to the other captain. Turning away from Doflamingo, he left the still corpse without saying another word, or without another thought about the ex-warlord.

* * *

"You all done?" Luffy asked.

"Yes. …Thank you," he added, and the Straw Hat captain merely gave his usual grin. He looked around, making sure everyone was together before giving a nod. "Then let's head for the docks." The crew stood and began to head for their destination. Law felt himself stumble a few times, but when Luffy asked if he was okay Law would simply wave him off. He'd lost a lot of blood when his arm had been severed, and the fact that he was completely out of stamina had him feeling exhausted. He knew that the moment he got onto a ship and had his wounds attended to, he'd be asleep in seconds.

"How's your arm?"

"It's fine. They stitched it on perfectly."

"And your other–"

"Focus on not getting captured by marines right now, Mugiwara-ya," Law interjected, his eyes scanning their surroundings. Fujitora could appear any moment, and Law had no strength left to deal with the admiral _again_. Though as they ran through the debris filled streets, Law couldn't help but steal a quick glance at the other pirate captain.

So many things happened along the way to reach Doflamingo. His plans, one by one, had been torn apart; forcing him to improvise and think quickly on his feet without a moment to lose. Of course, having the ever idiotic Straw Hat captain hadn't helped very much. But Law had known he could rely on the male, knew that, in the end, he would pull through with a miracle like always. Then the fight with Doflamingo started.

It was then that, for the first time in a very long time, Trafalgar Law had put his life and ambition in someone else's hands.

The result he got was far from disappointing.

Luffy came and rose above the call of duty in the alliance. He refused to let anyone he cared for die, refused to let Law's life come to an end no matter what, refused to let Doflamingo have his way, refused to let Dressrosa fall. In the end, he did indeed bring a miracle. And Law found himself giving the Straw Hat captain some new respect at that. The man was still an idiot, though. That would never change, no matter what.

They were halfway to the docks and so far they hadn't run into a single marine, something the surgeon was grateful for. As much as Law simply _enjoyed_ his time time bleeding to death in the kingdom, he wanted to get off Dressrosa as quickly as possible. So the small group of pirates, and the two samurai, ran through the kingdom with smiles and grins; everything going absolutely perfect so far.

That had the Surgeon of Death worrying. If there was one thing he learned during his time in the alliance, it was that nothing ever went according to plan when the Straw Hats were involved. Life with the small pirate crew was definitely…erratic.

And Trafalgar Law was about to find out first hand that that Life could be quite unpredictable.

Because as he turned his head, there, across the clearing and debris, his eyes landed on the very tall form of Corazon.

* * *

_A/N: So yeaaahhh. New story. It absolutely wouldn't leave me alone and i had to write it down and upload it. Don't worry, though! I already have the next two chapters written out. :3 (It ain't gonna be a long story, probably five-seven chapters at the most.) Update shall be next week! Also, slight AU here for another reason. Law planned on meeting the rest of the Straw Hats at Zou, but that's not gonna happen in this. They're gonna meet up with Thousand Sunny which is anchored about a day away from Dressrosa. Then it'll take a week or two to reach Zo. Hope that's okay. ^^; .So what'd ya guys think so far? Is it okay? Should I edit any part? Is it terrible? Let me know, please! x_x_

_Good news for my other story Memory Trap, the new chapter should – hopefully – be uploaded tomorrow. :D_

_Your shy ice elemental,  
__~»roo the psycho«_


	2. ll: So Cruel

Life Can Be…  
ll. So Cruel

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_A/N: Thank you for all your reviews! :'D But heed this warning: Law is ooc in this chapter. Sorry. Also, I have a feeling this is going to take a turn you guys weren't really expecting. So…surprise! XD_

_Also, I do not own the cover photo. It belongs to its rightful creator._

* * *

_Take a breath, take it deep  
__I'm sweating now, moving slow  
__Said I'm terrified but I'm not leaving  
__But it's too late to think of the value of life  
__Know that I must pass this test, so pull the trigger  
__And you can see my heart beating, you can see it through my chest_

* * *

Law came to a grinding to a halt; his eyes wide and mouth agape. His breath hitched and his heart skipped a beat as he finally registered the sight before him. There was Corazon, dressed as a marine with reinforcements following his lead. At first, Law merely thought it was a case of mistaken identity. It wouldn't be the first time he'd mistook someone else as the clumsy blond; after all, there were many tall blonds in the world. But there was no way he wouldn't recognize that face. That was Corazon, and there was no doubt about it. His sudden stop grabbed the attention of the other members in the group, and they all stopped to see what was wrong. The surgeon brought a shaking hand over to his arm, and gave his skin a hard pinch that would no doubt leave a welt. He felt the stinging pain travel up his arm, but the form of Corazon did not waver in the slightest.

It wasn't a dream or hallucination.

The other members of the group were calling his name, trying to get his attention and asked what was wrong. But he ignored them, his attention solely focused on the blond who stood above the other marines he was running with. "Cora…san…" Luffy's eyes widened upon hearing the name, and he snapped his attention to where Law was looking.

"What? Are you sure that's him? You said he–"

"Cora-san," Law repeated, as if he hadn't even registered Luffy talking. Zoro looked between the two. It was obvious Law had told Luffy something during their time together finding Doflamingo. But before he could say or do anything, Law's nodachi fell to ground with a clatter, making Zoro scowl for a moment. Swords were to be treated with great respect, _especially_ cursed swords. He'd seen how careful Law was with Kikoku, he took excellent care of his sword and took it everywhere he went. For him to actually let it slide off his shoulder and fall to the ground so carelessly only proved that the person he was currently looking at was someone he greatly cared for, and was greatly surprised to see.

The Surgeon of Death was suddenly running toward the group of marines across the clearing.

"Oi, Law! _Law!_" But Law kept running, even when the group of marines noticed him and all turned towards the tall blond at the front.

"Captain, sir! Trafalgar Law is currently approaching!" The blond gave a scowl, turning to face the oncoming pirate. He heard that the man known as Trafalgar Law had lost his title as Warlord due to his alliance with the Straw Hats, and was now back to being the captain of the Heart Pirates. He also heard rumors of just how terrifying the power of the Ope Ope no Mi could be. But before he could do anything, the pirate captain had weaved his way through the surprised marines and stood before the marine captain.

Law then flew himself at the blond, catching him in a tight hug.

Law, despite growing over the past thirteen years, was still short compared to the ten-foot-tall Corazon; barely coming up to the man's chest. "Cora-san…!" Law felt elated, completely and utterly happy that he was not indeed imagining things, and that Corazon was, in fact, still alive. The thought nearly brought tears to his eyes, and he squeezed the blond even tighter. "I thought you were dead," he said, his voice muffled by the man's shirt.

But Corazon was not hugging him back, nor had he said a single world. It worried Law, and he suddenly had the feeling that something was _wrong_. He pulled his face away from the man's shirt and looked up. Corazon didn't look much older really, he aged rather well the surgeon concluded. His hair was still shaggy and the same length, the only real difference being he no long wore his makeup or hat but a marine captain's jacket instead. He was distantly aware of the fact that Luffy and the others were fighting the other marines to keep them away from him. Confusion painted Corazon's face, along with mild disgust. "Cora-san…?"

"Who?" Law's heart sank a little, but he still gave a small smile.

"Cora-san," Law repeated, searching the man's face for any signs of recognition. "Don't you remember me?"

"I have never met you before, pirate," the blond spat, finally trying to shove the pirate away now that he got over the initial shock of having a notorious pirate captain _hug _him. Was it a trick to get him to lower his guard? The Surgeon of Death was famous for his clever and patient strategies. It was one of the reasons the Marines had been so eager to have him on their side, his tactical plans were thought out to the last detail and almost always ended in success. Law's arms came away from the blond as realization began to dawn on the surgeon. He tightly gripped the front of the marine's coat instead. "Let go, pirate!"

And Law's heart began to sink lower and lower, only one thing coming to his mind. Amnesia. Corazon had _amnesia_. He had no memory whatsoever of Law, or probably of his former life before the shooting. His fists gripped the captain's shirt tighter as his heart began to pound harder. The marine was starting to push Law away to grab for a weapon but Law's grip on him was iron-tight and he refused to let the man reach for a weapon. The surgeon looked him in the eyes with both hope and hurt. "Cora-san, please…"

In the fray, a marine that barely managed to dodge an attack that had been directed at him. He tripped and fell to the ground, feeling the rubble beneath him dig into the skin of his arm. Gritting his teeth, he began to push himself onto his feet when he caught sight of the ex-warlord Trafalgar Law and his Captain in a struggle. He instinctively raised his gun and took aim. "Get away from our captain, you scum!" He pulled the trigger the moment before a fist connected with his face.

Something dug into his side, and the Surgeon of Death let out a surprised cry as he registered the fact that he just got shot again. He felt his knees shake and his back arched at the pain, but he refused to let go of Corazon's coat. He just found the man after thirteen years, there was no way he'd let go. Ever. He pushed the pain from his mind and focused on the man's amnesia. Maybe if he told Corazon about his past a little, and how they met, it would make the blond remember. He had to trigger the memories. "I-It's me, Law. You took me in thirteen years ago," he started, and it seemed to catch the marine captain's attention because he stopped trying to grab for a weapon and actually seemed to _listen_.

"You told me to not give up living… To fight my illness. That you would save me, you would find me a hospital…that you would cure my Amber Lead Disease. And then…when you heard the Ope Ope no Mi was found, you went and got it for me…" Law was having a hard time talking now, finding his eyes slowly begin to droop from the exhaustion he was feeling. "You saved me." The statement was barely a whisper, and Law could clearly remember the day he was saved from his illness. It was one of the memories that stood out the most in his life. It would never fade away. Never. "You gave your life so I could live. Please, C-Cora-san…" Law shook his head with furrowed brows. "No, wait. That's not your real name. It's…" He gave a quiet growl as he searched through is fogged mind for the name he was looking for. "I-It's… Rocinante-san. Rocinante-san, please. Remember me…!"

Rocinante, for the most part, actually looked torn. He looked like he wanted to remember, like it was the first real lead he was getting about what his old life was like. But then there were the obvious doubts, that Trafalgar Law was a pirate, and pirates were all liars. And Law was no exception despite the fact he was a warlord for a little while. _Pirates will always be pirates, no matter what._ "Rocinante-san, please! You have to remember!"

Law truly was getting desperate. He had gone on living with the idea that Corazon had died thirteen years ago. And, in a way, he did. Corazon no longer existed, only Rocinante remained. But Law _needed_ Rocinante to remember. He had lived with the guilt for all those years, thinking he was the reason for the man's death. But here he was, alive and a marine captain. He missed the blond, missed him so much it actually hurt. Those smiles and victory-signs and clumsy accidents, he wanted to see them all again…! The man before him had become a father-figure in Law's eyes, and he'd be damned if he didn't at least try to make Rocinante remember him. He shook the blond hard, his voice rising. "Remember, damn it! You took me in and saved me! _You are the person I cherish most in this world! Don't–_"

The sound of another pistol going off rung in Law's ears, and he felt his eyes widen once more. Pain blossomed in his chest and he felt the familiar sensation of a bullet tearing through skin, muscle, and bone. Blood oozed from the new wound, and the surgeon found his strength had finally run out. His body had taken on too much abuse, and that last bullet that had dug into his chest right next to his heart had been the final straw.

He looked up at Rocinante, a look of near betrayal entering his eyes, and his hands slipped from the marine's coat as he fell to the ground. The gun in the blond's hand was still smoking. Law struggled to keep his eyes open, and his breathing began to come in short rasps that brought a bout of pain. He heard a familiar voice scream out his name, and something rubbery wrapped around his waist several times; dragging him away from the blond. Still, he weakly reached out his hand, hoping the man would take it.

He did not.

Instead, Rocinante turned away to help his men.

Law discovered in that moment just how cruel life could be.

He couldn't help the stray tear that fell from his eye as he his world was consumed by the darkness, Corazon's words echoing endlessly in his mind.

_"Law...I love you."_

* * *

_A/N: Bang bang, he shot me down. Bang bang, I hit the ground. Bang bang...that awful sound. Bang bang...my baby shot me down. XD XD (Aren't I just horrible? I think of that song every time I think of Doffy shooting Roci. XD ^^;)_

_So yep. Roci shot Law. Roci…shot…Law… Were ya expecting that? …Yes? Damn. But yeah, amnesia!Cora for ya. My internet is getting shut off for the next two-three weeks and decided to upload this now. So no updates/messages/reviews from me until then. I'm sorry. DX But when I return, THERE SHALL BE MANY UPDATES ALL AROUND. :D :D :D …hopefully._

_If anything seemed __**waaaay**__ out of character, let me know and I'll try to fix it. I'd like to hear your thoughts on this chapter too if that's okay. ^^;_

_Your shy ice elemental,  
__~»roo the psycho«_


	3. lll: So Unfair

Life Can Be…  
lll. So Unfair

* * *

_A/N: Sorry for the late update! I had to rewrite the entire chapter. Twice. DX Thank you for all your wonderful reviews! Hope you all like this chapter, too! ooc again on Law's part. And lots of rambling. My apologies. ^^;_

* * *

_Bang bang, he shot me down  
Bang bang, I hit the ground  
Bang bang, that awful sound  
Bang bang, my baby shot me down_

* * *

When Law awoke, the first thing that came into his line of sight was the familiar ceiling of the Thousand Sunny's sickbay. The second thing that popped into view was the straw hat that rested quietly on his chest. He gave a frown at the object. What was Luffy's hat doing there? The teen almost never let it go and was quite protective of it. And finally the third thing he saw was the tips of Luffy's from the corner of his eye. Looking to the side, he found the usually hyperactive captain sitting in a rather uncomfortable position on a chair with his head resting in his arms on the side of the bed. He stared at the teen's face for a moment, taking in the rather peaceful look the younger male wore.

In all honesty, it was the most peaceful the teen had ever looked.

Law sighed and focused his attention back onto the ceiling. He could feel the bandages wrapped tightly around his torso and arm. He could also feel several bandaids stuck to his face. Chopper had no doubt panicked upon seeing the state he was in and immediately began tending to his many wounds. He made a mental note to thank the little reindeer later. However, one thing hurt more than any of his wounds did.

His heart.

It throbbed painfully in his chest as the image of Corazon popped into his mind, his smile bright but goofy as he gave a victory sign. _"By the way, Law… I love you!"_ The image had brought a smile to Law's face when he was a child. How naïve he'd been that day. Then the image distorted only to be replaced with the last look Rocinante had given him. Blank eyes, a sneer of disgust and spiting words. "_I have never met you before, pirate._"

The bullet wound in his chest, the one he'd received from the blond, began to ache at the memory and he bit back a hiss. He shut his eyes and grit his teeth as he forced himself not to think of the blond anymore. But he had trouble doing that, Corazon had been such an important person to him—still _was_ important to him. Seeing him again…had been both a pain and a joy. A bittersweet feeling. The blond was alive, but they were enemies for life now. A marine and a pirate, two opposite sides of a coin forever fighting each other.

He shook that from his head and tried to focus on the fact that Cora– no, _Rocinante-san_ was still alive. And he was happy about that, too; glad the man was still around helping others and living life with a smile. But his heart…his heart felt like crying, sad that while, yes, Rocinante was alive, Law wouldn't be able to talk to him or see him. Wouldn't be able to laugh with him like he always wanted to. Wouldn't get to tease him about his incessant clumsiness.

Wouldn't be able to return the words _I love you, too._

His heart felt like it'd been ripped in two all over again, and he forced down the tears that threatened to start building in his eyes. He shut his eyes tighter, grit his teeth more. He curled his hands into his fists so tight that his nails bit into the skin of his palm and blood began to flow. He focused on the pain in his palms, it was a distraction to the pain in his chest.

Something shifted next to him but he didn't dare open his eyes yet, for he knew tears would begin to fall if he did. He mentally cursed at himself for being so weak as to almost cry in front of someone else, especially someone who wasn't even apart of his crew.

Luffy sat up, releasing a large yawn as he rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. Once done, he blinked in the dim light several times before his eyes fell on the figure of Law. He went to give a smile when he realized just what condition the surgeon was in, and he didn't fail to notice the blood dripping the man's palms. "Torao?" Law's left arm raised, covering his eyes with his hand. Luffy could see his body lightly trembling and his eyes softened. His ears and haki sensed someone approaching the sickbay door, and in a voice that was soft but left no room for an argument, he said, "Not now, Chopper."

The steps stopped before the door and hesitated a moment before walking away, leaving the two pirate captains alone once more. Luffy turned back to Law and he picked up the hat resting on Law's chest before looking it over in his hands. Then he placed it on Law's head, allowing it to cover the male's eyes. Law stilled at the action.

Luffy said nothing, and for that Law was grateful. Because the action alone was enough for him. Despite how hard he tried to keep the tears at bay, they began to slip from eyes one by one as his body began to tremble even harder.

He discovered Rocinante was alive only find out he had amnesia. Why? Why was life so cruel to him? Had he not suffered enough in his life already? Had he not suffered enough anguish when he lost his entire country and family before his eyes? Had he not suffered enough pain when the Amber Lead Disease kicked in and his entire body had been wracked with pain for weeks? Had he not suffered enough sorrow when he heard the one person he cared about die to protect him?

Had he really not suffered enough?

The blood that dripped from the wounds on his palm onto his eyelids was warm. Warm like Corazon's touch had been during those three weeks Law had nearly succumbed to his sickness. It had been warm.

_"Law… I love you!"_

Unlike Rocinante, who had been as cold as ice to him.

_"I have never met you before, pirate."_

Another tear escaped from his eyes.

_"I have never met you before."_

* * *

Two hours later Law found himself being checked over by Chopper, who continually insisted he take some painkillers. Law refused to take them, saying he despised painkillers and would only take them in an emergency situation. The little reindeer argued to that, but the surgeon won in the end. Still, he wasn't allowed to leave the sickbay yet and he didn't argue against that. He was still exhausted from all the fighting he did in Dressrosa and he could use a little more rest.

He wanted to be alone, to have time to sort through his thoughts. Chopper argued with that too and said at least one person had to be in the room with him. Oddly enough, it was Luffy who volunteered to do the job. Law didn't complain, when Luffy knew someone was going through a hard time he knew when to remain silent and when to try and cheer them up. And the moment, he knew Law needed silence. The straw-hatted male tried to busy himself by attempting to make a cat's cradle with some string he'd gotten from Usopp, making odd faces as he continuously failed.

It was nearly forty-five minutes later when the silence was broken. Law was pulled from his thoughts when he felt someone poke him in the shoulder. Turning, he met the sight of Luffy sheepishly smiling at him. "Ah, I was wondering if you could help me?"

Law frowned. "Help you what–?" His eyes landed on the string in Luffy's hands. Well, not _in_ Luffy's hands. More like _apart_ of Luffy's hands. The string had gotten so tangled in the teen's rubbery hands that it no doubt had cut off the circulation in at least six of the male's fingers. Law couldn't help the sight that left his lips, but also didn't try to hide the amusement in his eyes.

"How have you even survived for so long," he muttered as he created Room and swapped the string with a pen from the desk. Luffy laughed, massaging his hands as the blood started flowing once more.

"Thanks. I survived thanks to my friends!"

"Your friends?"

Luffy nodded. "Yep! They do everything I can't do, and I do everything they can't do!"

"How so?" Law knew already what the teen meant, and what his answer would be, but for now he wanted something to distract him from his thoughts. He found being in his mind for too long at the moment only seemed to bring him down. He could think things over later. For now, he'd simply focus on the hyperactive teen who, somehow, managed to bring down Doflamingo.

Luffy's smile seemed to brighten as he lifted up his fingers. "Well, I can't use swords, I can't navigate, I can't shoot or lie, I can't heal wounds, I can't cook, I can't fix our ship, I can't read ancient text, and I can't play music. I never would have gotten this far without my nakama. In return, I try my best to keep them safe!" His smile grew even wider. "No one can get through life alone, after all!"

"No," Law said, an image of Corazon's smile popping into his mind. "One can't…"

"You know, if you need to talk, I'm here to listen," Luffy said, his voice not as cheery as it was a moment ago. "It's the captain's job to stay strong for his crew, right? But I'm not part of your crew, so it's okay to talk to me, right?"

"Maybe another time," Law answered, closing his eyes.

"M'kay. Hey, do you know how to do a cat's cradle?"

"Yes."

"Could you show me how to do it?"

Law honestly looked a little skeptical. He had heard how hard it could be to teach Luffy knew things. But it was a simple string game. It couldn't be _that_ hard.

…right?

* * *

Rocinante looked down at the body before him. He instantly recognized it as Doflamingo, the Shichibukai that ruled over Dressrosa for the past ten years. _Heavenly Demon_ is what many called him, and those in the underworld called him _Joker_. He knew this man by a different name though, a name only he could call him.

_Brother_.

He had no memories of his previous life. All he could remember was being in the darkness for a long, long time before he was able to come back to reality. The nurses and doctors had been utterly astonished upon seeing him awake, and at first he'd found that strange. People woke up all the time, didn't they? It wasn't until he was informed he'd been in a coma for eight years did he finally understand why they had reacted in such a way. It was rare for someone to wake up after being comatose for so long.

After he awoke, he was put through rehabilitation to learn how to walk again and to get some muscles back in his appendages. He was visited often by Sengoku who told him a little bit of his past life. He was the brother to Donquixote Doflamingo and had been working undercover for about two years in the family as an executive. Then, for some reason, he stopped giving reports for nearly six months.

Three weeks later, Tsuru found him on the brink of death on Minion Island.

_"We can only assume that Doflamingo discovered you were working for us," _Sengoku had said. _"He tried to kill you, but Tsuru found you just in time."_

He then re-learned all his training again, working his way past his previous status Commander to Captain in four years. The training came easily to the blond, most likely because, despite the fact he lost his memory, his body had taken the training in as natural instinct. He easily deflected and dodged punches, his body moving on its own. So the training came easy. It took a little longer to get the hang of his Akuma no Mi again, and at first he thought of how lame of a fruit he'd been dealt.

But he quickly dismissed that thought when he discovered it made it impossible for others to hear him sneak up on them, or for his explosions to not make a sound. He thought it was cool. Sorta.

It was still weird, though, going through life without memories of the first half his life. But he learned to live with it. He was told as much as Sengoku knew about his past and though it wasn't much, it was better than nothing.

But then this Trafalgar Law person suddenly appeared in his life claiming they knew each other.

Claiming that _he was the person he cherished most in the world_.

It threw Rocinante off, it confused him greatly. He knew when most people were lying, yet he hadn't caught a single sign to show that the Surgeon of Death had been lying. But he shook those thoughts away and focused his attention back to the blond below.

Despite not remembering him, his heart lightly throbbed upon seeing the Shichibukai so still and lifeless. He furrowed his brows, but didn't give it much thought. They were brothers after all, it was only natural his heart hurt upon seeing his sibling dead. Even _if_ said sibling tried to kill him once. _"The reason you chose to go undercover is because you said it was your duty as his brother to stop his madness."_

He had tried, and he had failed. However, this Straw Hat Luffy and Surgeon of Death managed to take him down. He wondered why the two had created an alliance just to take down Doflamingo. From what he read in the reports, Straw Hat Luffy wasn't the type of pirate to go starting trouble without good reason.

He took down Buggy when the man continued to terrify innocent villagers. He took down Krieg when the man tried to take over a restaurant that his current chef Sanji had worked. He took down Arlong because the fishman had taken control over Coco Village, the place where his navigator Nami had grown up. He broke into Enis Lobby to save his friend Robin from certain death.

He broke into Impel Down and Marine Headquarters to save his brother Ace from being executed.

Everything Straw Hat did was to keep those he cared about safe. Rocinante could see that, yet so many other Marines couldn't. They spat at the sight of Luffy's wanted poster, saying he was no better than the rest of the pirate scums. That he was _Dragon's_ _son_ and _needed to be annihilated_. It was comments like that that made Rocinante wonder just who really was better: the Marines or Pirates. Because no one deserved to die for their father's actions. It wasn't _right_. Even Portgas D Ace hadn't deserved to die if his only crime had been to exist. He knew that was the main reason why the execution had been public, to show the world that everyone who was related to, and helped, Gol Roger would die.

It didn't sit right with him. Not at all.

Trafalgar Law, from what he knew, didn't go looking for trouble either. If someone challenged him to a fight, he'd give them one chance to surrender before taking out his enemies. Going after Doflamingo was the first real big thing the surgeon had attempted. So why? Why did they go after Doflamingo? It must have been Law's plan, because the Shichibukai had done nothing to Luffy's crew as far as Rocinante knew.

He did, though, send a quiet _thank you_ to them for stopping his brother's rein of terror over the peaceful kingdom of Dressrosa. He knelt down beside the body and saw the man's eyes were open and staring towards the sky. Doflamingo had beautiful eyes, they were blue like the ocean. Rocinante had eyes the color of the sky, a light but soft blue. He reached out and pulled the man's eyelids down, bowing his head.

"Goodbye…brother."

* * *

_A/N: F***. I feel like I dragged this chapter on, and kind of bounced all over the place with it. If I did, let me know and I'll try to fix it up. If there was too much ooc, my apologies. If I got anything wrong, my apologies. If it sucked in general, my apologies. ^^; (And yes, someone can wake up after being in a coma for so long.)_

_On a happier note, THE NEW EPISODE WAS BEAUTIFUL. THEY GAVE CORA-SAN SUCH A BEAUTIFUL INTRODUCTION. You got this mysterious music, he walks in slow-motion all badass and shit. THEN HE TRIPS OVER NOTHING. YESSSS. You gotta love that clumsy dork. :'D_

_Your shy ice elemental,  
__~»roo the psycho«_


	4. lV: So Confusing

Life Can Be…  
lV: So Confusing

* * *

_A/N: Again, thank you for your kind reviews! I hope you guys like this chapter too! (Also, I am going to add a headcanon to this story. Read more in the bottom AN.)_

* * *

_You don't remember me but I remember you  
__I lie awake at night and try so hard not to think of you  
__But who can decide what they dream, and dream I do  
__Have you forgotten all I know and all we had?  
__I believe in you, I'll give up everything just to find you  
__I have to be with you to live, to breathe  
__You're taking over me  
__You're taking over me_

* * *

_He's crying._

_He can't remember why, but he's crying hard; his body trembling and aching in pain as he stands in the middle of what looks like a scrap yard. His mind is clouded by confusion and pain, and he simply can't stop crying no matter how hard he tries. A voice. A voice is calling him, trying soothe him into stopping. But he can't._

_Something warm and slick touches his face, and he finally opens his eyes. It's Doflamingo's hands that are slicked with blood that's touching him. His brother's sunglasses are broken and crooked, and several bleeding cuts decorate his forehead. He's got a bloody nose and for some reason there's blood spattered all over his shirt. But that's not what catches his eye._

_No, it's the fact a single has fallen from Doflamingo's eye._

_That alone makes him want to cry harder because something about the sight just doesn't feel right. Doffy never cries, right? So why was he crying now? Doflamingo smiles and the sun's soft rays land on Doffy's face perfectly to the point where he can see just how blue his brother's eyes really are._

_The blood soaked hands on his face move, thumbs rest at the corner of his lips as they pull upwards; trying to make him smile. His brother stares into his eyes and says, "Smile, Rocinante. Always remember to smile." The blood smears off Doffy's thumbs, creating a smile painted in blood across his face. He tries hard to smile, he truly does, but he just can't bring himself to do it, and more tears fall from his eyes._

_Doffy is still standing there though, that smile on his face and that single tear still standing in place on his cheek._

_"Smile, Roci. Smile."_

* * *

Rocinante's eyes snapped open, and he was met with the darkness of the night. The room was silent save for his breathing, and he found comfort in that. It was a dream, an old memory from his childhood. He occasionally got them, but this one had been so clear and vivid. He raised a hand to his face and sighed, he had to stop thinking of the past and had to start focusing on the present.

But how could he do that?

Many people said it was your past that makes you who you are. So if you're left without a past, then who are you? Rocinante had to start all over again from scratch, had to create himself all over again. Many people who knew him from before said he was his old self, cheerful, kind and quiet like always. But Rocinante didn't feel…_whole_. Something was always missing, something was always nagging at him mind.

It was always _something_.

He laid in the darkness, staring at the ceiling as the question _Who am I? Who is Rocinante?_ wafted through his thoughts. He felt like the answer was slowly coming within his reach, but he had no idea what direction to look in. He tried desperately to remember the day Sengoku found him, the day he was brought to Marine Headquaters to start his life as a marine. He tried hard to remember the day he was reunited with his brother and the day he met his supposed 'end.' But no matter how hard he tired, nothing came to light.

It frustrated him to the point where he could feel tears stinging his eyes. He wanted to know who he was, what he did, what his family was like.

He wanted to know how Trafalgar Law fit into his life.

Ever since his run in with the Heart captain the two days ago, he'd tried to delve into his lost memories every waking moment. Had the ex-warlord been lying, or had he been telling the truth? The surgeon's eyes had held so much _hurt_ when Rocinante had stated they'd never met before. He went over the man's words again in his mind.

_"You took me in thirteen years ago."_ That had been around the time Rocinante had nearly been killed, when he first fell into a coma. Had this…Trafalgar been the one to shoot him, and not Doflamingo? It was a possibility, though that would have meant a Marine Commander from Headquarters was nearly killed by a mere _thirteen-year-old._ He highly doubted that was the case, but he didn't dare dismiss the idea.

_"You told me to not give up living. To fight my illness. That you would save me, you would find me a hospital…that you would cure my Amber Lead Disease." _Rocinante furrowed his brows. Amber Lead Disease? He had never heard of such an illness. Then again, he wasn't a doctor. He made a mental note to look up the disease when morning came around.

_"And then…when you heard the Ope Ope no Mi was found, you went and got it for me. You save me. You gave your life so I could live. Please, Cora-san."_ The Ope Ope no Mi, that was the main reason Rocinante had gone to Minion Island; to make sure Doflamingo didn't get his hands on the fruit. And that name. Cora-san. He felt as if he should know it, that it should, for some reason, _mean_ something to him. But all he pulled up was a blank, making it another question to store away with the countless others he had.

And then, when Rocinante hadn't shown any signs of remembering him, Trafalgar started to become _desperate_. In truth, Rocinante had seen such desperation only a few times in the past few years of waking. It was something that, in no way, could be faked. It was genuine. _"Remember, damn it! You took me in and saved me! __You are the person I cherish most in this world!__"_

That had been too much for Rocinante. The pirate had begun to shake him hard, and Rocinante had thought the man might make a move to try to kill him. He couldn't risk it, couldn't let himself fall and leave his men behind. So he managed to pull out his pistol, and fired without hesitation. He knew, as a marine, he took the right course of action. Pirates couldn't be trusted, they did wrong and needed to be stopped at all cost for the sake of the citizens around the world.

He did the right thing.

But then why did he feel as if he had made a horrendous mistake?

He couldn't get the emotions that passed through Trafalgar's eyes as he fell to the ground after getting shot out of his head. Confusion. Hurt. _Betrayal._ He had reached out to Rocinante once more, even after being shot, hoping for the blond to take his hand. But Rocinante had turned away from him instead.

Rocinante shut his eyes as he tried to get some more sleep, and pushed the image of a single tear falling from Law's shocked eyes out of his mind.

* * *

No matter what Law did, his thoughts always returned to Rocinante. Despite the fact his whole body hurt, he couldn't stay cooped up in the sickbay after a whole day of doing nothing. He couldn't focus on reading and the only that had been able to distract him was trying to teach Luffy how to do a cat's cradle, which had been _far_ more difficult than Law could have ever imagined. Too many times did Luffy accidentally tangle his fingers up in the string. If the surgeon hadn't known any better, he would have thought the teen was messing up on purpose. After three hours, however, Luffy finally managed to get the basics down and ran out of the sickbay to show his crew members.

So there he was, standing out on a part of the deck that was empty and somewhat quiet as he stared at the spot where the horizon met the sky. He knew it was only a matter of time before the rest of the crew discovered he was up and about, and that Chopper would most likely threaten to sedate him if he didn't lay back down. But until then he wanted to enjoy the ocean's breeze.

Reluctantly, his mind traveled back to the tall blond he'd come to cherish. He still had a hard time getting over the fact that Corazon no longer existed, and that Rocinante was now an enemy of his. The thought of the blond being alive out there in the world and not being by Law's side to smile at him tugged at his heart but he refused to dwell on such things. He tried his hardest to focus on the fact that Doflamingo was gone, _dead_, unable to ruin anyone else's life for eternity. He focused on the fact that he was stuck with the insane Straw Hats for eleven more days until they reached Zou.

Tried to focus on the fact that his own crew, which he hadn't seen in such a long time, were waiting for his return and would, most likely, throw caution to the wind and hug the life out of him. Tried to focus on the fact that for the next few weeks he should be careful with his arm. He _tried to focus._ But nothing wholly prevented his thoughts from floating back to Rocinante and the icy glare and words he'd given.

His heart still throbbed painfully, like it had been torn apart _again_, but he refused to let any more tears fall. He felt humiliated enough he broke down in front of Luffy, he definitely didn't want a repeat of that.

"Torao!" Law turned at the nickname the other captain had given him, but the action made one of his bullet wounds ache and he couldn't fully suppress the hiss of pain that left him, nor the involuntary flinch that followed. "Torao?" Worry laced Luffy's voice and the surgeon waved it off.

"I'm fine," he grit. "What do you want, Luffy-ya?"

Luffy didn't fail to notice that Law no longer used the nickname 'Mugiwara-ya,' and instead called him by his first name. It made Luffy inexplicably happy, and he grinned largely as a laugh left him. The sudden additional cheerfulness had the surgeon feeling slightly confused. "Shishishi! You called me Luffy!"

"Yeah, so wh–" He was cut off by the sudden sharp inhale he made, his eyes widening as a distant memory played in his brain.

_"Hey, Cora-san! Cora-san, wake up!" Law shook the male harder as the den den mushi continued to ring._

_"Hrmmm…" A shocked expression took over the blond's face as soon as he was awake._

_"What's with that face?!"_

_"You just called me Cora-san…"_

_Law's face slightly heated up as he realized that the blond was right and snappily pointed toward the transponder snail to the side. "Whatever, just answer the den den mushi already!"_

And suddenly, Law couldn't _breathe_.

He clutched at his frantically beating heart as he desperately tried to get air into his lungs. He was faintly aware of the fact that Luffy was holding him up, seeing as his legs no longer supported him, and was screaming for Chopper to come.

Law had a realization that Luffy and Corazon were too much alike for his liking in that moment. Luffy was selfish, the opposite of Corazon who was altruistic, but he was selfish in a way where he made everyone around him happy. Luffy had that ridiculous _grin_ on his face all the time and he had saved Law's life without a moment's hesitation simply because they were, what he considered, 'nakama.' And now Law was starting to warm up to Luffy, respect him because he managed to bring down Doflamingo; the person who had stole the remaining light from him thirteen years ago.

He couldn't do that, couldn't become friends with the Straw Hat captain.

Not when he knew Luffy would be an enemy to him once the alliance was over.

Just like how Rocinante, who he cared for, was now his enemy.

His world began to fade to darkness and a loud ring echoed in his ears. He stared unseeingly as he felt himself be lowered onto the deck, unaware of the panic that was happening around him on the Thousand Sunny. In that moment, he wasn't exactly sure what it was that brought on the sudden attack, or _why_ it happened.

In all honestly, his mind was a jumbled mess of thoughts that left him feeling more confused than he'd ever felt in his entire life.

And as he blacked out, all Trafalgar Law could think of was Corazon's shocked expression upon hearing his new name.

_"You just called me Cora-san…"_

* * *

_A/N: Can you tell I didn't know how to really end it? XD So here's an updated! Hope it's alright. Anyway, as for the headcanon I mentioned in the beginning. For those of you who don't have a tumblr, I can paste the post right here for you to read:_

_lockdaisy  
__Sometimes I feel like the One Piece fandom forgets that Corazon legitimately thought he was worthless, even beyond death. I mean in, in canon alone, he said the following two phrases:  
__1\. "As the little brother, my sole purpose in life is to keep Doflamingo's madness in check." (He literally believes that his only value was as an extension of Doflamingo, to minimize the damage his brother creates.)  
__2\. "Even after I die…I hope you won't forget me." (This was said after he was planning to SACRIFICE HIS LIFE to save Law. He legitimately thought he was worthless enough for Law to forget him, even though he literally gave up everything so Law could live on.  
__It is such an unfair existence because this is a problem that was never rectified. As far as Corazon was concerned, while he did good in saving Law, he was ultimately completely worthless, worthless enough to be forgotten by the one person who he treasured more than his own life or goals. And he died believing this. Oh, and he died not knowing Law didn't hate him for being a Marine because he silenced Law. What an unfair existence._

_So I hope you guys don't mind if I add this to the story, because, really, it is canon. ^^ Let me know what you guys think, maybe? Have a nice day, and thanks for reading! (If you did, anyway. ^^;)_

_Your shy ice elemental,  
__~»roo the psycho«_


	5. V: So Ironic

Life Can Be…  
V: So Ironic

* * *

_A/N: akdjaokbja :D ;akjbae! ^^_

* * *

_Someone holds me safe and warm  
__Far away, long ago; glowing dim as an ember  
__Things my heart used to know, things it yearns to remember  
__And a song someone sings once upon a December_

* * *

_The pain was starting to become too great, and Law, no matter what, can't fall asleep. His body trembles despite the fact he's not very cold, and the grip on the blanket covering him is weak. Despite the fact he's exhausted and Cora-san's 'magic' kept all sound away, sleep did not visit him. "C-Cora-san," he says, voice slightly hoarse. The blond, who is sitting right next to him, is suddenly more awake and alert; kneeling down more as to hear what the child has to say. "C-Can't sleep," he finishes._

_"You need to rest," the man says, pulling the blanket a little more up. Concern laces his words, and worry is openly displayed on his painted face. Law simply shakes his head and the blond bites his bottom lip as he searches through his mind for ways to ease the child's pain. But he can't come up with anything, he isn't a doctor after all, the most he can do is stay by Law's side and try to comfort him through the waves of pain._

_The child groans quietly, his eyes squeezing shut and teeth gritting. The blond runs his hand through Law's midnight blue hair, whispering quiet nothings in an attempt to help. He's clueless on what to do, he isn't a doctor and knows near nothing about Amber Lead Disease. Fear bites at his mind as the idea that he could lose Law tonight tears repeatedly at him. He knows not what to do, and so he opens his mouth in an attempt to distract Law from the pain._

_"You are my sunshine, my only sunshine," he whispers. "You make me happy when skies are gray." He knows he's probably singing off key, but the song manages to make Law relax, and soon the child is on the verge of sleep. He hums the rest of the song for several minutes, carding his hands through Law's hair in a soothing manner until the child's breathing is slow and even. A pained expression is still painted on Law's face, but it's nowhere near as bad as it was earlier._

_Corazon gives a sad smile, his eyes softening as he stares down at the child he'd come to love. "You'll never know, dear, how much I love you. Please…" Bowing his head, he closes his eyes and lets out a sharp exhale as he feels tears burn behind his eyelids. "Please, don't take my sunshine away…"_

* * *

Law opened his eyes as the the haunting voice of Corazon echoed through his mind. Had that been a dream, or an actual memory? He doubted it was a memory, he couldn't remember a time where the blond had openly sang before. However, he wasn't granted any more time to dwell on it when a very worried reindeer entered his line of sight! "Law, you're awake! How are you feeling?"

How did he feel? He highly doubted the reindeer wanted to hear how he _really_ felt, so he kept to the basics. "My head is pounding," he answered. "And my arm hurts." Actually, now that he thought about it, his arm _really_ hurt; like someone had jostled it quite roughly. Chopper gave a sorta sheepish smile at that.

"Luffy ended up carrying you here and he forgot about your injury. The stitches tore a little but I fixed them right away." That definitely explained it, then. "What happened, though?" Chopper asked, a small frown coming to his face as he check over Law to make sure he was, indeed, fine. "You had a sudden panic attack, but it was so strong it actually made you faint." He cast the surgeon a worried look. "And you know it's quite rare for that to happen."

Law remained silent, didn't dare answer the question. To think that he had a panic attack of all things… But why? Why had it occurred? Surely it couldn't have been because of the fact Luffy and Corazon had quite a few similar qualities. Maybe…maybe he was just _tired_. Ever since he saw Rocinante back in Dressrosa, he hadn't been able to fully sleep or concentrate on anything. It was _draining_.

"Law…?"

"It was nothing," he answered, his voice barely above a whisper. "Nothing at all, Tony-ya."

How many times over the years has he told that excuse? _"Law, what's wrong?" It's nothing. "Sir, are you alright?" It's nothing. "Is something bothering you?" It's nothing. "Captain, you look…distracted." It's nothing_.

It was always_ nothing_.

Over and over again, throughout his life, it was _always __nothing_. And now was no different. Why bother telling people what you were feeling or what was bothering your mind? It wouldn't do them any good, and most of the time they wouldn't have been able to help him anyway. Someone called his name but they sounded so far away, it was easy to ignore when he got lost in his thoughts. He found it almost funny how one person, one _single person_ could make him fall apart at the seams so easily. And the ironic thing was…it was the same person who stitched him together years ago that was now tearing him apart.

Law had the sudden urge to give a mirthless laugh, realizing just how unfair his life had been so far. He wanted to laugh until he cried, and his crying turned into near hysterical sobbing. But he didn't, and he wouldn't. Because he locked himself away from the world after losing Corazon.

Corazon…

He felt like he was slowly losing his mind; every thought somehow connecting to the blond in someway. The tall man was taking over his life again.

And this time…

This time Law wasn't sure if he wanted him to stop or not.

* * *

Rocinante hadn't been able to sleep like he originally wanted to, his thoughts too caught up with the Surgeon of Death and the dream he had of his brother. He also had been busy the entire day and hadn't been able to visit the library like he'd planned so he decided to make it his mission for tomorrow. He headed for his room and crashed heavily onto his bed momentarily, staring up at the ceiling with furrowed brows.

His concentration all day had been horrible, causing him to trip and mess up far more often than usual. He even started three fires in only an hour, earning light scoldings from Tsuru for the incidents. He gave a harsh sigh, closing his eyes as he folded his arms beneath his head for a more comfortable position. His life had been going so smoothly until that damn pirate captain showed up in Dressrosa. Now he couldn't even focus his mind without the man popping into his thoughts. It left him more frustrated than ever, making him release a harsh sigh.

He closed his eyes in an attempt to push away all thoughts and clear his mind, but the Surgeon of Death lingered in his head. There was nothing special about the man at all save for the fact that he was Shichibukai for a short while. But that was nothing new; pirates becoming Warlords only to lose the title wasn't shocking at all. _Pirates will always be pirates, no matter what._

But, then again, maybe that _wasn't true_. Just like what was happening in the Marines, Akainu and Fujitora were currently at each other's throats, and not to mention how vicious the fight between Aokiji and Akainu had been two years ago. Marines weren't always as good as they were claimed to be, some followed justice to the point where it could be considered _dark and unjustified._ It was no wonder that Garp and Sengoku ultimately decided to retire.

Rocinante missed those two, they helped him recover from his coma and retrained him. They acted almost like fathers to him while Tsuru was a motherly figure. They were his true family as far as he was concerned, seeing as he couldn't remember his old one.

He wondered if he would ever remember his real family one day.

* * *

_It's cold, and he's crying again._

_But these tears are different, they're not sad and full of pain. They're tears of joy, relief and pure happiness. He's holding something in his hand. A fruit. A devil fruit? It feels small in his hand and while his grip is tight, he's being careful not to damage it. He glances at it; it's heart-shaped with swirls decorating it._

_The urge to get it to someone quickly runs through him but he can't remember who he's running to or why he feels like he's running out time. The thought of not getting to this person makes him want to panic, and it causes him to run even faster._

_But then he trips on nothing, feeling his world become weightless. He rolls down a snowy hill, silently cursing his clumsiness as finds he can't stop himself. He doesn't know how long he rolls for, only that when he finally stops he's so dizzy that he can barely focus on anything. However, when the dizziness passes, he opens his eyes to find five guns shoved in his face._

_The men above him aren't familiar at all, and he can tell just by their actions and behavior that they're pirates. He tries to take them out, to get away and get this devil fruit to whoever needed it, but the pirates aren't taking any chances._

_The sound of several guns going off ring through the dark, silent night._

_He feels a bullet dig into his chest._

_Then another._

_Two more bullets hit his abdomen and torso._

_And finally, one more buries itself into his right thigh._

_And his world is alight with pain._

* * *

Rocinante's eyes snapped open as he took in a sudden deep breath. His hands automatically flew to his chest, feeling for any bullet injuries or blood because he could sure as hell feel the phantom pain from getting shot. Once he was sure he was not injured, another deep breath left him as he stared up at the ceiling once more. He hadn't meant to fall asleep. He could feel a light cold sweat covering his skin and he pushed off the bed and dragged himself over to the bathroom to take a shower.

The dream had been real, and he had no doubt that it was an old memory. But from when? Where? Who was he trying to get to? What was the devil fruit he'd been holding? More and more questions were starting to pile up and he had far too few answers for his liking. Stripping himself of his clothing as soon as the bathroom door was locked behind him, he stepped into the shower and turned on the water; letting the steaming liquid run down his back as his tense muscles began to unwind.

A determined look entered his eyes as he glared at the tiled wall. He'd get answers tomorrow, no matter what.

He was tired of being left in the dark.

* * *

Luffy didn't mind silence; contrary to what many thought of him, he, too, found both peace and comfort in the quiet at times.

But he did not like this silence.

Trafalgar Law had been deemed well enough to walk around deck a day after his panic attack and spent most of his time in a secluded area of the Sunny's deck simply staring out at the ocean. He hardly said a word, didn't even bother to touch his food during dinner or breakfast, and barely spent any time around the Straw Hats. He also had an almost empty look to his eyes.

It unnerved Luffy.

He didn't like it at all.

He'd seen Ace with that look a few times. Despite the fact that he could be naive at times, Luffy wasn't a complete idiot like many thought him to be. He could be perceptive at times, especially around people he truly cared for. Growing up with Ace, he caught onto the boy's personality far quickly than he did with strangers he would see on occasion. So it only took him a few weeks to fully understand the fact that Ace questioned his own existence. He'd see it in the boy's actions; how he wasn't afraid to put himself in dangerous situations that could easily lead to his death, how he had no care for his own personal health, how he would nearly kill himself to keep Luffy alive.

It was painful to watch, unable to truly do anything about it. The most Luffy could do was reassure Ace he was glad he was there, that he was _alive_. He made Ace promise that he wouldn't die after Sabo passed away, for both himself and his brother. It worked, but it didn't completely erase Ace's question and doubt. And, unfortunately, Ace didn't discover his answer until he was dying in Luffy's arms at Marineford.

Luffy wondered what Law's current question was. He doubted he was questioning his own existence, but he had a feeling it had to do with this Cora-san he'd seen the day they left Dressrosa. That man managed to break Law so quickly, it truly was terrifying to see how fast a strong pirate captain such as Law could come apart.

So, putting on a large smile, Luffy decided the only way to figure out what was on Law's mind was to ask him.

All he was doing was asking a simple question; what could go wrong?

* * *

_A/N: *translation for beginning A/N: Thank you for your kind reviews! :D Glad you're all liking it so far! ^^_

_(Sorry for the late update as well! Q.Q;) Believe it or not, we're approaching the end here. I think there will be two more chapters (three at the very most) and that's that! And be careful Luffy, Law's not exactly…very stable at the moment. And you're kinda famous for being a magnet to trouble. Anyway! Sorry for such a late update, I've been working on Memory Trap and a few other stories that need to be updated. ^^; Hope this chapter was okay and not too…repetitive!_

_Also, one reviewer suggested the idea of seeing the Straw Hats' reactions when Law first ran toward Cora-san in chapter 2. Should I add it in? It probably won't be as long as a normal chapter, just a head's up. :D And take my poll, please?_

_Your shy ice elemental,  
__~»roo the psycho«_


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